Istafa Ali
During Sunday’s second Twenty20 International match at Seddon Park, Hamilton, between Pakistan and New Zealand, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan reached a significant milestone.
The 31-year-old cricket player rose to the top of the six-hitter rankings and currently leads Pakistan in T20I with 77 sixes.
With 76 sixes, the wicket-keeper batter passed fellow player Mohammad Hafeez, who is ranked second on the list.
In T20I cricket, Pakistan’s most sixes
Mohammad Rizwan-77
Mohammad Hafeez-76
Shahid Afridi-73
Shoaib Malik-69
Babar Azam-55
Umar Akmal-55
After striking a six to Tim Southee to open Pakistan’s 195-run chase impressively, Rizwan was dismissed for just seven runs in the second over by Adam Milne.
Like in the first game, Men in Green’s star batsman Babar Azam top scored with 66 runs from 43 runs on the scorecard thanks to nine boundaries, but his efforts were in vain as the visitors faltered in their attempt to reach the 195-run mark.
The national team was short of 21 runs needed to win the match, but New Zealand moved closer to taking the series.
They were beaten for just 10 runs in the opening overs by both of their openers, Muhammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, from the outset.
With seven fours and five sixes in a fast-paced innings of 74 runs off of just 41 balls earlier in the first innings, Finn Allen led New Zealand to a 194-run total.
The home team appeared to be on course for a large total because of Allen’s outstanding start, but as soon as he was dismissed in the 13th over by Usama Mir’s googly, everything went wrong.
When Allen returned to the pavilion, the home team was 137-2 in 13 overs, but they could only muster 57 runs in the next seven overs.
The in-form Kiwis were limited to 194 runs by the brilliantly comebacking Pakistani spinners, a total they may yet chase.
As the match’s leading wicket-taker, Haris Rauf of Pakistan claimed three wickets in the 19th over. With the exception of captain Shaheen Afridi, every bowler for the visitors claimed a wicket.
